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<title>I Grant You Eternity Sat at My Side by Matterofhope</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28867056">I Grant You Eternity Sat at My Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Matterofhope/pseuds/Matterofhope'>Matterofhope</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Metal Gear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Confessions, Feelings, Fluff, Foreshadowing?, M/M, a line from mgs4, daves a bit 'insecure', otacon tries confessing but-, post tanker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:14:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28867056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Matterofhope/pseuds/Matterofhope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I think I’m in love with you.”  </p><p>“You aren’t," Dave responds. "You just love the idea of me.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Otacon/Solid Snake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Grant You Eternity Sat at My Side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You almost dying made me think about a few things.” Hal blurts out. He flicks on the light in the bathroom to grab a rag. “you’d think they’ll notice bloodstains on the towels?” Hal asks, the walls muffling his voice.</p><p>Dave wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical or not. Still, he doesn’t respond either way. <em> Instead</em>, he hears the faucet turn on and Hal steps out with a damp rag. </p><p>Dave looks up, seeing Hal biting his lip as he walks to where Dave is propped up. “I see you’re planning on using the rag, bloodstains or not.” </p><p>It’s Hal’s turn to not respond. He sits down at the edge of the bed. Dave moves his legs to give Hal more room to make himself comfortable. </p><p>“What were you saying before?” Dave eyes the pack of cigarettes on the table some feet from them, wishing he could smoke one right now. </p><p>Hal lifts up Dave's shirt. Dave notices Hal biting his lip again; like he's trying to work out a problem in his head. Hal always had this exact face when something isn't working, and he needed to search for a solution. </p><p>“I’m not sure how to say this...” Hal mutters, more to himself than anything.</p><p>Despite the low volume, Dave can still hear the bit of nervousness that seeped into Hal’s tone.</p><p>“For one, I held you in my arms...you were dead for a few minutes.” </p><p>The ‘stab wound’ from the shipwreck had a bandage over it, wrapping around Dave's abdomen. Along with Dave’s complexion looking paler than usual. </p><p>Hal isn’t a medical professional, but he assumes it’s possibly from the lack of oxygen, or maybe the blood loss. </p><p>“I don't want that to happen again," Hal adds. "I don't wanna live with regrets, I have enough of those already.” </p><p>“Hal, you’re speaking in riddles.” </p><p> </p><p>Hal’s eyebrows twist in concentration as he starts to unwrap the bandage, revealing the wound. <em> Both </em>he and Dave are studying the damage; trying to see if it’s still bleeding or if it’s starting to heal. After examining it, the bleeding has seemed to subside, leaving the red blood cells to try their best to piece Dave’s open wound back together again. </p><p> </p><p>At the moment, Hal feels his head going a million miles per hour. His thoughts are in a completely different place, in some other dimension, figuring out how to communicate to Dave how he feels. </p><p>While his brain tried forming words, his hands worked on something else, which was tending to Dave's wound with a learned practice. </p><p> </p><p>Hal realized he hadn’t finished his thought; leaving Dave to wonder what his next words were.</p><p>“You going to tell me what's going on in that brain of yours?” Dave asks. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Right. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I think…” as Hal says it, his knuckles accidentally brush the wound. “I think I’m in love with you.” </p><p>Dave’s mouth gapes a bit in shock. Hal is too busy wrapping up the discarded bandage - then standing up to put it in the trash - to notice. </p><p>“You aren’t. You just love the idea of me.” Dave responds after Hal comes back to sit back on the bed. A brave thing to do in Dave’s opinion, he could never have the courage. Feelings were never his thing. Though, ever since he met Hal; Hal has exceeded Dave's expectations in his displays of bravery. </p><p>“After everything we’ve been through, you still think that?” Hal was looking at a result of what they <em>had </em>been through. The mission, ‘Liquid’ making an appearance, Snake getting stabbed by a floating piece of the tanker- </p><p>“How do you want me to prove it to you?” Hal glances up at him, and It dawns on Dave that he hasn’t looked Hal in the eye since this conversation started. </p><p>His blue eyes peek over his black frames as he awaits an answer. Hal’s hair now fully dried from the rain, along with his cheeks tinted red. </p><p>Dave thinks the question over in his head.</p><p>He wants to confess that the feeling is mutual. That lately he's seeing Hal in a new light. He can <em> feel </em> the urge to kiss him in his chest. If only Dave leaned in a bit more, <em> then </em> he could kiss the lips that breathed life into him again. The ones that were a soft awakening from his apparent ‘death’.</p><p> </p><p>But he doesn’t move to kiss him. </p><p> </p><p>After Shadow Moses, when they escaped, and Meryl came home with Snake. David still remembers Meryl gawking over him, still blinded by the idea of ‘The Legendary Solid Snake’. Not David himself, or who he was as a person. Every nitty-gritty detail of him. The good, the bad, and the aftermath of being a soldier, a man with blood on his hands. </p><p>Expressing emotions were not his forte - and yet - Dave takes time to try and form a response that expresses how he feels the most accurately. </p><p> </p><p>“Stay with me,” He grabs Hal’s hand, it’s all he can settle on doing for now. “This isn’t a rejection, Hal. I just need you to stay with me, for a little while longer.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I want to know that you won’t leave me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Hal’s gaze on him has something in it that Dave can’t read precisely. He hopes it isn’t something negative, or that Hal won’t resent him for choosing to respond in this manner. </p><p>Hal nods. “Okay, I promise.” He pushes up his glasses, a gesture Dave always found charming. </p><p> </p><p>He reaches out to rest a hand on Dave's knee. “I’ll stick with you ‘till the end.” and Hal says it like he means it. </p><p>Dave grins at him. The warmth of Hal's hand resting comfortably on his leg.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Hal.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was inspired by a lovely comic by bbotacon on tumblr.<br/><a href="https://bbotacon.tumblr.com/post/156004169914/snot-week-day-3-thaw">(the comic)</a></p><p>In all honestly, the original comic hit me in the heart. It also inspired me to write something about it, hence this fic. </p><p>Kudos to the artist for coming up with the idea, and putting pen to paper. I enjoy their art greatly and I appreciate anyone who has the courage to post their creations online. </p><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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